Dental care appliance

ABSTRACT

An elongated handle is provided at one end with a bifurcated head including a pair of spaced arms having notched extremities to receive a length of dental floss. A floss anchoring button is slidable in an opening in the head and has passages in which floss may be inserted and tensioned, so that when the button is slid in one direction in the opening, the floss is anchored in its tensioned condition. Auxiliary dental care attachments such as a brush, mirror, et cetera, are removably applicable to the outer end of the handle.

United States Patent Greenacre [s4] DENTAL CARE APPLIANCE [72] inventor:Paul G. Greenacre, 330 Driveway, Apt.

505, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 22 Filed: Jan. 5, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 104,014

52 us. c1. .132/92 n 51 1m. 0 ..A6lc 15/00 [58] Field of Search..132/89, 90, 92 R; 32/40 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,607,358 8/1952 Maas ..132/92 R 1151 3,672,377 [451 June 27, 1972Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock Attorney-Fetherstonhaugh & Co.

[57] ABSTRACT An elongated handle is provided at one end with abifurcated head including a pair of spaced arms having notchedextremities to receive a length of dental floss. A floss anchoring button is slidable in an opening in the head and has passages in whichfloss may be inserted and tensioned, so that when the button is slid inone direction in the opening, the floss is anchored in its tensionedcondition. Auxiliary dental care attachments such as a brush, minor, etcetera, are removably applicable to the outer end of the handle.

1 Claim, 25 Drawing Figures PATEMEBJUHN I972 3,672,377

sum 2 or a ENI' P. REE CRE PATENT AGENTS PATENTEDaum I972 3,672,377SHEET 3 BF 4 fjVVENTOR P. G. GREENACRE PATENT AGENTS PATENTEDJUH27 m2 3672 377 SHEET u. or 4 NTOR P. G. EENACRE PATENT AGENTS DENTAL CAREAPPLIANCE This invention relates to new and useful improvements indental care appliances, and in particular the invention concerns itselfwith a tooth flosser of the general type which includes an elongatedhandle having a bifurcated head at one end thereof, the head including apair of spaced arms provided in their extremities with notches so that alength of dental floss inserted in the notches and stretched between thearms may be used for cleaning spaces between teeth in a convenient andefi'ective manner.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a tooth flosser ofthis general type with novel and improved means for anchoring the lengthof floss when it is tensioned between the spaced arms of the head, theimproved anchoring means consisting of a button which is slidablypositioned in an opening in the head and is formed with passages toreceive the floss so that when the button is slid in one direction inthe opening, the floss is securely anchored in its tensioned condition.

. Another important object of the invention is to provide a toothflosser of the aforementioned type with a plurality of selectivelyusable attachments for auxiliary dental care, such as a brush, mirror,and the like, these various attachments being removably applicable tothe outer end of the handle, remote from the flosser head, so that theyare readily available for use.

Some of the advantages of the invention residein'its simplicity ofconstruction, efiicient operation, and in its adaptability to convenientand economical manufacture.

With the foregoing more important objects and features in view'and suchother objects and features which may become apparent as thisspecification proceeds, the invention will be understood from thefollowing description taken in conjunction withthe accompanyingdrawings, wherein like characters of reference designate like parts, andwherein:

, FIG. 1 is a plan view of the dental flosser according to theinvention;

1 FIG. 2 is a side edge view thereof;

. FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail, takensubstantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail taken in a plane at rightangles to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially in the planeof the line 5- 5 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the floss anchoring button;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view showing one type of attachment on thehandle of the flosser;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of another attachment;

FIG. 10 is a side view ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 1 l is a plan view of another attachment;

FIG. 12 is a side view of FIG. 11;

. FIG. 13 is a plan view of another attachment;

FIG.14 is a sectional view in the plane of the Iinel4-l4 in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of another attachment;

FIG. 16 is a side view of FIG. 15;

FIG." is a plan view of another attachment;

FIG. 18 is a side view ofFIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a side view of another attachment;

FIG. 20 is a side view of another attachment;

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary plan view showing modified means for retainingany of the attachments on the handle;

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary perspective view of the handle'of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the attachment body of FIG.

the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 andcomprisesan elongated handle 12 which is provided integrally at one endthereof with a bifurcated head 13, including a pair of spaced divergentarms 14. Preferably, the head 13 is disposed in a plane which is offsetby an acute angle from the plane of the handle, as shown in FIG. 2. Thefree extremities of the arms 14 are formed with notches 15 in which alength of dental floos may be inserted and stretched between the armsfor convenient cleaning'of spaces between teeth in the well knownmanner.

The invention primarily concerns itself with the provision of improvedmeans for anchoring the floss in its stretched or ten sioned condition.Such means comprise a floss anchoring button generally designated as 16which is slidably disposed in an opening 17 formed in the head 13, asdetailed in FIGS. 3-6.

The anchoring button 16 comprises a shank 18 provided at its oppositeends with enlarged knobs 19, 20. The shank 18 and the opening 17 in thehead 13 are of a complemental, noncireular cross-section, in order toprevent rotation of the shank in the opening. As shown in FIG. 5, such across-section may be that of a flat-sided oval, although otherconfigurations may be used. The heads 19, 20 may be shaped to correspondto the cross-section of the shank.

The length of the shank 18 is greater than the thickness of the head 13so that the shank is slidable in the opening 17 within limits whereeither of the knobs 19, 20 engages the adjacent side surface of thehead. In FIGS. 3 and 4 the button 16 is shown as being slid downwardlyso that the upper knob 19 abuts the upper surface of the head 13, butthe button may be slid upwardly so that the knob 20 abuts the undersideof the head.

For purposes of receiving and anchoring the floss, the button 16 isprovided with passages including a kerf 21 which extends through theknob 19 into the adjacent portion of the shank l8 and a pair of grooves22 which are formed in the rounded ends of the flat-oval crosssection ofthe shank, as will be apparent from the drawings.

In use, a length of dental floss is placed in the notches 15 of the arms14 and stretched between the arms, while the end portions of the flossare brought to the button 16. The button is slid upwardly in the head 13(from the downwardly slid position of FIGS. 3 and 4) so that the portionof the button with anchoring the floss in its tensioned condition.

The handle 12 of the tooth flosser is longitudinally tapered and itsouter end portion 12a is adapted to selectively accommodate a widevariety of auxiliary attachments for dental care, as presentlydescribed.

One of such attachments is a tooth brush shown inFIGS. 7 and 8. The samecomprises an elongated body 23 provided with an elongated andlongitudinally tapered socket 24, the major end of the socket being openso that the body 23 may be slidably applied to and frictionally held inposition on the tapered end portion 12a of the handle. The body 23carries tufts of bristles 25.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show another attachment in the form of a .tooth wiper,wherein the body 23 is provided with a covering 26 of cloth or sponge.In FIGS. 11 and 12 the tooth wiper is modified for cleaning inner toothsurfaces, the body 230 in this instance having a curved end portion onwhich the sponge or cloth element 26a is mounted.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show a sub-bridge cleaning attachment in which the body23 carries a prong 27 with a notched end for guiding floss underneaththe pontic of a bridge.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show a mirror attachment in which the body 23b has anangularly offset portion carrying a mirror 28.

FIGS. 17 and 18 show another attachment wherein the body 23 is providedwith a flexible rubber cup 29 for tooth cleaning purposes.

in FIG. 19 the body 23 carries a gingival crevice cleaning element 30which may be either straight or longitudinally curved. in FIG. 20 thebody 23 is equipped with an interproximal brush 3l.

in all these various attachments the attachment body is frictionallyheld in position on the handle by insertion of the tapered handle endportion 124 into the socket 24 in the body, as already mentioned. ifdesired. such frictional mounting may be enhanced by forming the handleend portion 12a with a longitudinal channel 32 as shown in FIG. 22, andproviding a longitudinal rib 33 in the socket 24 of the body 23 as shownin FIG. 23, so that the rib 33 is slidably but frictionally received inthe channel 32 when the attachment body 23 is applied to the handle endportion 12a as in FIG. 21.

FIGS. 24 and illustrate a modified arrangement for removably mountingthe attachments on the handle. Here the attachment has an elongated body34 which is adapted to be superposed on the handle end portion 12a andis provided at the underside thereof with a pair of tapered studs 35.The handle end portion 124 is formed with a pair of tapered apertures 36in which the tapered studs 35 are frictionally received to removablyhold the attachment on the handle. it will be understood that while theattachment body 34 in FIGS. 24 and .25 is shown as carrying a wiperelement 3'7, the mounting means 35, 36 may be used in any or all of thevarious types of attachments as shown in FIGS. 7-20 inclusive.

While in the foregoing there have been described and shown the preferredembodiments of the invention, various modifications and equivalents maybe resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A dental floss holder comprising in combination an elongated handle,a bifurcated head provided integrally at one end of said handle andincluding a pair of spaced arms formed in their extremities with notchesfor receiving a length of dental floss. and floss anchoring meamcomprising a button including a shank and a pair of enlarged knobs atthe ends of said shank, said shank having an oval cross-section withflat sides and rounded ends, said head being provided with an openinghaving a shape complemental to the cross section of said shank, theshank being axially slidable but non-rotatable in said opening, thelength of the shank exceeding the thickness of said head so that theshank may slide in said opening within limits set by engagement of saidknobs with opposite side surfaces of the head and separation of thebutton from the head is thereby prevented, said button being providedwith passage means for receiving end portions of a length of flossstretched between said arms so that when the floss is inserted in saidpassage means it may be anchored in a tensioned condition by sliding thebutton in one direction in said opening, said passage means including atransverse kerf formed in one of said knobs and extending axially intosaid shank, said kerf being opensided and also open at the outer surfaceof said one knob so that floss end portions may be inserted axially intothe kerf, and a pair of grooves extending in a circumferential directionin the rounded ends of said shank substantially at the level of theinner end of said kerf, whereby floss end portions inserted in the kerfand into said grooves may stretch across the flat sides of the shank forfrictional grip in said opening when said button is slid in said onedirection.

i i i

1. A dental floss holder comprising in combination an elongated handle,a bifurcated head provided integrally at one end of said handle andincluding a pair of spaced arms formed in their extremities with notchesfor receiving a length of dental floss, and floss anchoring meanscomprising a button including a shank and a pair of enlarged knobs atthe ends of said shank, said shank having an oval cross-section withflat sides and rounded ends, said head being provided with an openinghaving a shape complemental to the cross-section of said shank, theshank being axially slidable but non-rotatable in said opening, thelength of the shank exceeding the thickness of said head so that theshank may slide in said opening within limits set by engagement of saidknobs with opposite side surfaces of the head and separation of thebutton from the head is thereby prevented, said button being providedwith passage means for receiving end portions of a length of flossstretched between said arms so that when the floss is inserted in saidpassage means it may be anchored in a tensioned condition by sliding thebutton in one direction in said opening, said passage means including Atransverse kerf formed in one of said knobs and extending axially intosaid shank, said kerf being open-sided and also open at the outersurface of said one knob so that floss end portions may be insertedaxially into the kerf, and a pair of grooves extending in acircumferential direction in the rounded ends of said shanksubstantially at the level of the inner end of said kerf, whereby flossend portions inserted in the kerf and into said grooves may stretchacross the flat sides of the shank for frictional grip in said openingwhen said button is slid in said one direction.